Take me to the River

Young people from Silvertown, East London have been getting some hands-on art and archaeology experience and discovered some of the heritage of the River Thames and the docks. The year 6 pupils from Drew Primary School went ‘fossicking’ on the Thames foreshore with archaeologist Andy Brockman and artist Helen Marshall to find objects that have formed the basis for art and creative writing workshops at North Woolwich Old Station Museum. The children also spent some days at UEL’s Docklands campus to learn computer-aided design techniques in the ‘MAGICbox’ laboratory, and the work went on show for four months at London City Airport in the first floor viewing gallery. The children made plenty of interesting finds, including pottery and bottles made by local companies, a perfectly preserved clay pipe made in Plumstead around 1840 and what is probably a Diwali lamp and Hindu cobra’s that would have been ritually placed in the river. The project combines simple digital imaging techniques, archaeology and storytelling as a tool to explore  new approaches to children’s learning about archaeological heritage and the sustainable environment. See the take me to the river website to see the online exhibition.